Vehicular amusement apparatus



Nov. 9, 1948 H. J. NEWMAN ETAL 2,453,380

VEHICULAR AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 [nae/aims MM? JAMES NEW/141v fewest fesoai/m/zmsav.

/2 /2 2m fig H. J. NEWMAN ET AL VEHIGULAR AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Nov. 9, 1948.

4 SheetS-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. l7, 1944 Nov. 9 1948.

VEH'IGULAR AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, 1944 4 Shets-Sheet a HENRY J/wss NEWMAN Em 557' FEfOfE/CA Jam sum H. J. NEWMAN ETAL 2,453,330 I Nbv. 9, 1948.

Filed Nbv. 17, 1944 H. J. NEWMAN ET AL VEHICULAR AMUSEMENT APPARATUS 4= Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 9, 1948 VEHICUL'AR AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Henry James iNewman, Gm'enfordsandifirncst Frederick.ilohnsomssouthend-aonefiea, England Application 'Noveniberl'l, 1944, SeriaLNo. 563,846 In Great Britain DecembcrQ, 1943 1 'This invention relates to amusement apparatus of thetypein which a number-of vehicles-or'carriages are carried, by means for driving them over a'circuitous track so that they-traverse anendlesspath. The object of this-invention is to add to the variety and modeo'f travel of the vehicles or carriages and another-object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type specified whichwill handle a larger number of passengers for eachoperationof the apparatus than is possible with existing apparatus of agiven floor area of such type. Astill furtherobject of this inventionis to afford a wide range of adjustment for speed and adequate control of the moving masses so-a-s'to ensure the maximum safety.

According to this invention amusement apparatus of the type set forth comprises a pluraIityofcarriages, means to'travcrse-them in an endless path of travel and means to impart a substantially orbital path of movement to the individual carriages simultaneously with their movement in the aforesaid endless pathof travel.

The invention willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. '1 is a side elevation, :partly in section, of

the amusement apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a-plan view with the'ornamental central-structure omitted so as t'o'show the 'driving mechanism.

F g. 3' s.anend elevation of the structureofone of the rolling wheels whichsupportithe travelling carriages.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of one of the wheels showing how the suspension shafts for the carriages are supported.

Fig. 5 is a part sectional detail showing an alternat ve method of driving each wheel by means of a separate motor.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the electric connections for the driving motors of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section taken along the line T--'| of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a modified form of rope drive for rotating a central platform, and

Fig. 9 is a detail of a fitting for this driving gear.

Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show the general arrangement of the amusement apparatus in which an annular platform I is supported on the ground and may be of solid or hollow construction built in sections and adapted to be assembled and secured together upon a fair ground or other place of amusement. Within the opening in the platform I is provided a support 2 5 Claims. (Cl. 272-136) forthe rotatable hub 3 of "a seriesof radiating arms -l 'ea'ch-o f which is "hingedto the hub' 3 at- 5 so that the liinged arms may arise and fall about the hinge points li. "ilhe radiatingarms 4 maybe interconnected 0r braced together by hinged coupling rods or flexible conn'ectionsdnany suitable known.manner. On thesupport 2 iis rmountedla suitable bearing B'for mounting thehubiirand a gear acasing 1 containing :suitable :gearing by ihich the hub .is rotated at a suitablyredu'ced speedffrom the=electricmotor 8 tlnollghithesgearing in-the gear casin'gfl Over the=drivingmechanism is :mounted a suitable ornamental structure or-"canopy 9.

.z-At :i the end of eachradiating arm is mounted a strong wheel 1L0 eachrof which supports a series of passenger carriages H suspended "from supporting shafts 12 projecting laterally. from the wheels ill-so ith'at the zpassengerucarriages l I will traverse-an orbital :path o'fstravel as the wheels. to roll :round lithe apla'tform ii The wvheels 1 ii) fare of any suitable .steel ..frame construction to effectively-zcarryathe :passenger icarria ges. and athe :passenge'rs and to stand :the stresses .and strains 'to which 'they'rwill ibe subjected. The framework of the wheels lil .mayzbe ienclosedrinsheetmetal or plywood covering so as to concealithe-constructional material and .torenable the. exterior. of the wheels to .be suitably painted .or @otherwise .1 decorated.

suitable construction for .the 'wheels :[0 :is illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 7 in which the frame of each wheel comprises a pair of octagonal side frames built of angle iron bars is joined together at their corners by welding and reinforced by suitable fish plates I 4. Each side frame l3 has radiating arms l5 of angle iron extending from the corners to the central hub plates I6. The two side frames are connected together by the cross-connecting bars I! of angle iron and diagonal bracing members I8 as shown in Fig. 4. Each side frame I3 is split diametrically at [9 and are bolted together by the twin radiating arms l5. Additional stiffening angle bars 20 connect the radiating arms l5. Each angle iron bar l3 has a pad 2| which may be rigidly or resiliently bolted near to its centre and the ends of an inverted channel shaped bar 22 are secured to the pad 2|. The channel shaped bars 22 support a metal rim 23 which contacts with the surface on which the wheel is to roll. This arrangement enables a relatively narrow rim to be provided to avoid undue wear due to dragging each wheel i is driven by its own electric motor mounted on its radiating arm 4' and having a toothed pinion 26 which gears with a gear wheel 27 to rotate the wheel l0 round the track at the desired speed. The electric leads 28 are connected to brushes 29 which contact with slip rings 39 and 3|.

of each motor.

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate another method of driving a platform fill) having the passenger carrying Wheels l0 mounted one at each corner of the l octagonal platform. The whole weight of the apparatus is supported on the Wheels 10 which roll upon the surface of the track formed on the foundation of the apparatus. An electric motor 4! drives one of a pair of pulleys 42 through worm and Wheel or other suitable reduction gearing. A driving cable 43 passes round the pulleys S2 and crosses itself at 430. and passes round and engages in the jaws of fork-shaped clasps 44 secured to the underside of the platform 50 on each of the radiating arms 45 and at equal distances from the centre of the platform. Each fork-shaped clasp 44 (shown in detail in Fig. 9) has its forked end facing outwardly from the centre of the platform and the fork is lined with fabric or brake lining material 46 to provide the desired friction and to protect the cable against undue wear.

The platform and/or the peripheries of the wheels can be lined with suitable durable material, e. g. brake lining material, to ensure a suitable driving and silent running contact between the wheels and the track constituted by the said annular platform. The radiating arms may be suitably braced together by suitable links so as to stiffen the whole structure and to maintain the spacing between the wheels.

We claim:

1. Amusement apparatus comprising an annular track, a series of radiating arms mounted for rotation about the center of the track, a

wheel mounted to rotate at'the end of each arm,

As shown in the diagram in, Fig. 6 a separate fuse 32 is connected in the lead 1 4 said wheel comprising a pair of strong skeleton metal frames having radial members connected to hub plates and also to peripheral connecting bars, cross-members and diagonal bracing members connecting the two side frames, brackets on some of the radial members, shafts for suspending passenger carriages engaging in these brackets and projecting laterally from the side of the wheel, and a relatively narrow rim supported by cross-members of the wheel structure and adapted to roll on the track, and passenger carriages suspended from said shafts.

2. An amusement apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which includes means for rotatin the assembly of radiating arms about the center of the track so that the wheels will roll around the track and impart the orbital movement to the carriages.

3. An amusement apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which comprises a driving motor adapted to rotate each wheel about its arm so that the wheel will simultaneously roll around the track.

4. An amusement apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which comprises an endless driving cable passing around pulleys driven by a driving motor and a series of fork-shaped clasps mounted on each radiating arm and with each of which the endless cable engages so as to rotate the assembly of radiating arms about the center of the track.

5. An amusement apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the radiating arms are connected to form a platform adapted to rotate about the center of the track, the Wheel being supported from the edge of the platform.

HENRY JAMES NEWMAN. ERNEST FREDERICK JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 169,797 Forrester Nov. 9, 1875 713,070 Cronin Nov. 11, 1902 852,308 Watson Apr. 30, 1907 898,056 Malsin Sept. 8, 1908 1,599,075 Burris Sept. '7, 1926 2,320,555 Bartlett Jun. 1, 1943 

